Precision balance



Feb. 14, 1950 F. s. ARGUELLES 2,497,428

PRECISION BALANCE Filed July 15, 1947 llllil lll llll ll INVEN TOR. ICEEUEFM'AKS: 6 50054 45.5

BYE Q Patented Feb. 14, 1950 PRECISION BALANCE Frederick S. Arguelles, New York, N. Y., assignor to Seederer-Kohlbusch, Inc., Englewood, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 15, 1947, Serial No. 761,099

4 Claims.

This invention relates to magnetically damped precision balances and it has for its object to provide novel and improved means for controlling the damping effect in such balances.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient adjustable magnet mounting for varying the damping effect in a balance of the above type from outside the casing of the balance.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

This invention is applicable to magnetically damped precision balances of the type disclosed in Patent #l,900,641, issued March 7, 1933, to John Gattoni. Such a balance has a pivoted beam supporting the scale pans, a magnet mounted in the casing below the beam, and a non-magnetic damping plate pivotally suspended from the beam independently of the scale pans and arranged to move freely up and down between the poles of conditions and also because some operators prefer to let the balance swing for a longer or shorter time than others. In some early balances of the type referred to, adjustment of the magnet was effected manually as by means of screws or bolts whenever it was neccesary to change the setting.

As the above balance went into wide use in scientific laboratories, colleges, etc., where it was used for a Wide variety of weighing operations, it became increasingly desirable to simplify and expedite the adjustment of the damping unit under all conditions of use, and this was accomplished satisfactorily by various rack-and-pinion mountings, spirally threaded tubes, etc. (as in Gattoni Patent fa -2,036,689, issued April 7, 1936) which moved the magnet toward or away from the damping plate whenever it was desired to vary the damping effect. The principal objection to such intricate adjustable mountings is their cost; and another objection is that they occupy considerable space inside the balance casing, not only because of their inherent bulk but also because they require considerable space in which to operate.

My invention overcomes the foregoing disadvantages by employing a compact ring-type magnet which occupies very little space in the balance casing and is adapted to be rotated through a relatively small arc about an axis which is diametrically opposite the poles of the magnet. The magnet is mounted on a rotatable control rod which extends through the casing, and, when the operator rotates this rod, the magnet is tipped or canted to straddle a greater or lesser area of the damping plate to provide any desired damping effect which is furthermore indicated at a glance by a dial on the control rod. This improved magnet mounting is so small and simple in construction that it constitutes only a tiny part of the overall bulk and weight of the balance, and it not only reduces the cost and size of the balance but also simplifies the adjustment of the magnet and expedites the weighing operation.

Although the novel features which are characteristic of this invention are set forth more in detail in the claims appended hereto, the nature and scope of the invention may be better understood by referring to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which certain specific embodiments have been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a precision balance embodying the invention, with the major portion of the casing broken away to simplify the show- Fig. 2 is a side view of the non-magnetic damping plate and the cooperating circular magnet, the latter being shown both in full lines and in dotted lines to illustrate how the damping effect is varied;

Fig. 3 is a detail section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, illustrating the dial for indicating the damping effect of the magnet;

Fig. 4 is a plan View, partly in section, illustrating a modification of the invention employing two damping plates and magnets;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating a modification of the control rod adjusting means; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-8 of Fig. 5.

In the following description certain specific terms are used for convenience in referring to the various details of the invention. These terms, however, are to be interpreted as broadly as the state of the art will permit.

The balance shown in Fig. 1 has a base I supporting a casing 2 which encloses the entire mechanism and is provided with transparent 3 windows and sliding front in accordance with the usual practice in balances of this type.

The base I supports a standard 3 having a knife edge bearing 4 carrying the central knife edge 5 of the beam 6. The beam 6 carries knife edges 1 at its ends on which are hung the scale pans 8 and 9, the bows of said scale pans usually being hung on the "upper hooksof doi il'ol'e ho'cflt yoke frames III, as shown in Fig. 1. Also attached to the beam 6 is the usual pointer or indicator l2 cooperating with the graduated scale l3 on the base I.

A flat vertical damping plate 14 of aluminum or other non-magnetic matefial is freely pended on the lower hook of the yoke frame 10 at either one or both ends of the balance. The balance illustrated in Fig. 1 has only one damping plate 14 which, as will be noted, is suspended from the right-hand end of the beam 6. To" counterbalance the Weight of the damping plate M a small weight" may be "suspended from the oepesite'yeke frame.-

Coo'per'ating withthe damping piste H is a substantially circular" magnet 15' having closely spaced poles l6 providing a concentranon ei flu'it inthe path of the damping plate [4' which is adapted'to move use d down between s'aid 'p'o'les' It. The indenting 6f thisinagnet t5; and ad jus'trnentt'o' vary the dairiiiing efiecfl w'ill new be described.

A rotatable horizontal control fed HI'in easing 2 has'its inner" end jeurfial'ed in bearing 19 carried by collar 29 which is 'secured tos'tar'idard '3. and its outer end z'tndirig 'through the side wenof casing '2 and terminating in a finger piece or T handle 2| for rotating said control rod from outside the' casing.

A bifurcated clamp 2 2 is secured by screws 23 m the magnet 15 diametrieai yoppesit trie -mag v fof-"rotatih'g d rb'd'tfom oiitside the casing, and ne't poles l6, and this clam-p 'is adjustablysecufed *d maris severing said magnet to said control redby set screw E l to a 'in'er'ribr 25 which, in turn, is adjustably secured to control red I 8 by setscrew 2 5 By manuall adjusting the vaiio'i-is arts; of this clamping device; and securing thfiiin adjusted position by means of screws 23, 23

arid 215, the magnet F5 maybe initially set toner mit the damping plate [4 to movefreely up and down between the magnet poles it without strik ingf sa'id poles.

when it is desired to vary "the damping efiecteither before ordering awe'ignin'g' operation, the operator simply grasps the finger piece 2| out side the casing ;2 and rdtats the eeifitroi rod is,

thus rotating themag net l5 inelthe'r a clock;--

wise or counter-"clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2', and thereby varying" the-damping effect from the maximum (full line position of the mag; net in Fig. 2) to the minimum or "no 'da n'iping" position of the magnet shown in brokenlines Fig. 2.

The damping effect of thefmagn'et upon the damping plate ME is indicated 'bya calibrated di'al 28 which is keyedtocoiitrol'rod 1"8'andcooperats with an indicating pointer 29 mark'edo'n'the face of one of the pair ethereal) which trace the I glass side wall of the balance. A coil spring 3f is compressed between this bar 3H anda nut 32 on rod 16, urging rod t8 toward the right as viewed Fig. i and thereby causing 'dial 28 toto lio'ld the rod 1 8 131 anypes'ition-to which it'inay be adjusted.

The balance illustratedin Fig. 4 is the same as that previously described except that dampingplates 14 are suspended from bothendsoi the beam 6, hence the control rod I8 carries two magnets l5, one for each damping plate. The construction and mounting of the parts is the same as described above, except that the central portion of the elongated control rod [3 is journaled in a bushing 33 carried by the standard 3, and the inner end of said control rod is journaled in a bearing-:34" on left-hand e'nd' ofcasing].

Figs. 5 and'6 illustrate a modification in which the outer end of control rod l8 terminates in a iii-finned knob 35 and a disc 36 containing a circular series of holes 31 is keyed to said rod and is urged against the face of the outer bar 30 by a coil 3 8 compressed between the inner bar andanut 39 on rod [8. The various holes 31 in disc 36 are'enga'geable with a pin 40 on the ,face of-the outer bar 30, so that, by drawing the rod [8 outwardly against the force of spring 38 "and then rotating it until a selected hole 31 engages the pin 46, the setting of the magnet or magnets l5 be adjusted in predetermined gradations.

Altlioiigl i' certaiiispecific embodiments have been shown arid described herein for purposes" of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in th'eart that'the invention is capable of various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is: 1% ins precision Balance. at casmgananama therein, a beam pivoted on said standard, a vertical damping plate of non-magnetic material freelyfsuspended from said team, a substantially circu l aii magnet having closely spacedpoles adapted ding outside said casing and having means diametric'any opposite the magnet poles whereby cal darnpiiig plate ofnon-magnetic material free ly suspended from said beam, at substantially" enemas magnet having closely spaced poles a fiie'ce for rotating said rod from outside the I nge-cle mpcarried-by Said control rodahdbytdrtate said magnet with effc ph' rotati nof said control rod ,-an'd means djiisti" ingerate.

frictionally engage the face of said bar 3"ll so as 20511911 control rod -jour'naledin said casing with adapted t one end'e' ending outside said casing-and having a fihgel piece for rotating said rod front outside the casing. a cla m-1o carried by said control rod and secured to said magnet diametrically opp'o' w's 'sitdthemagnetapoleswhereby to rotatesaid mag 'to-lie O opposite sides (if-Said damping plate todainpen-theniotidn of said beam, a h'or izohta-l contr'o rod jou'iiialed in said casing with one endy th'e damping effect upon rotation- 2-.- Iii-a precisionbalance, a casing, astandard thfihg beam pivoted Ofi Salid' standard, a' Vrti= adapt/ed t?) lie oiioppdsite sides of said damping platto' dampen the motion of said beam, at h0r i" zoiital control rod jdui naledin said casing with one end extendin outside said casing and having aid magnetdianietricaJIy opposite the" mg plate tow/any the damping 5 said magnet with respect to said clamp to-ali'ghth-magnet poles with said dampnet with respect to said damping plate to vary the damping effect upon rotation of said control rod, means for adjusting said magnet with respect to said clamp to align the magnet poles with'said damping plate, a dial carried by said rod within said casing to indicate the damping efiect of said magnet upon said damping plate, and means for holding said control rod in adjusted position.

4. In a precision balance, a casing, a standard therein, a beam pivoted on said standard, a'vertical damping plate of non-magnetic material freely suspended from said beam, a substantially circular magnet having closely spaced. poles adapted to lie on opposite sides of said damping plate to dampen the motion of said beam, a horizontal control rod journaled in said casing with one end extending outside said casing and-having a finger piece for rotating said rod from outside the casing, a clamp carried by said control rod and secured to said magnet diametrically opposite the magnet poles whereby to rotate said magnet FREDERICK S. ARGUELLES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Gattoni Mar. 7, 1933 Gattoni Apr. '7, 1936 Number 

